Adjustable shaft-coupling



A. A. IVIERRITT. ADJUSTABLE-SHAFT COUPLING APPLICATION FILED JULY 30. I919.

1,363,140. I Patented Dec. 21, 1920.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR A. MERRITT, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO WILLCOX &;

GIBBS SEWING MACHINE 00., OF NEW YORK.

YORK, N. Y.', A CORPORATION OF NEW ADJUSTABLE SHAFT-COUPLIN G.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 21, 1920.

Application filed July 30, 1919., Serial No. 314,213.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR A. Mnnnrrr, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Worcester, Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Adjustable Shaft- Couplings, which invention is fully set forth in the following specification.

The present invention is an improvement upon shaft couplings such as shown'in Figure 9 of patent to me No. 1,0l1,652, dated October 15, 1912. lVhile designed particle larly for use in sewing machines, the improved coupling may be used wherever two shafts are to be joined together end to end, to operate as one, and it is desirable and necessary in such joinder to accurately correlate the shafts with respect to the positions to which they are respectively turned about their axes; in other words, to accurately determine and adjust the axial positions of the shafts with relation to each other. For example, in my patent aforesaid, Fig. 9 (which is a rear elevation of the machine) shows the main driving shaft in two sections. The shaft section 81 has driving connections for actuating the loopers and other parts which operate below the work-plate, while the shaft section 80 has driving connections which actuate the needles and other parts operating from above the work-plate. These two sets of mechanism must be accurately set with relation to each other, and this is determined by the relative axial positions of their re spective shaft sections. If the loopers are late in passing the needles to engage loops of needle threads, or if the condition is the reverse, it then becomes desirable to readjust the relative axial positions of the shaft secment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- F g. l is aplan view;

F g. 2 is a longitudinal section; and

Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate the action of the device in axially adjusting one shaft section relative to another.

Referring to the drawings, 10 and 11 are shafts, or shaft sections, respectively. 12 is a coupling member or sleeve having tapered exterlorly screw-threaded ends, each ongaged by a nut 13. The ends of sleeve 12 are split longitudinally so as to be capable of expansion or contraction as the nuts are tightened or loosened thereon. A set-screw 141, working in a threaded opening through the wall of sleeve 12, has a rounded inner end adapted to engage a seat or depression 1n shaft section 10. An adjusting member or plug 16, screw-threaded in an opening through the wall of sleeve 12, is rotatable on an ax s at right angles to and intersecting the axis of the sleeve member. Two projecting pins 17, 17, on plug 16 are adapted to be engaged by any suitable implement for turning the plug; and a scale along the periphery of the upper face of the plug, in uxtaposition to a zero-mark on the sleeve, accurately indicates the position to which the plug is turned. A set-screw 18 works in a threaded opening through the plug 16 eccentrically positioned with relation to the axis of the latter. The inner rounded end of set-screw 18 engages a groove 19 extending longitudinally of the shaft section 11 and preferably of concave cross-section.

In the position of the parts shown in Figs. 1 and. 2, the two shaft sections are rigidly joined by the coupling with the groove 19 of one. shaft section in longitudinal alinement with the seat 14 of the other shaft section (as shown in Fig. 3), the nuts 13, 13 being tightened to forcibly contract the split ends of the sleeve into secure engagement with their respective shaft sections, and the set-screws 14 and 18 being screwed in to tightly engage seat 15 and groove 19 respectively. If it be desired to change the relative axial positioning of the shaft sections, say by rotating shaft section 11 in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 4, nut 13 is loosened to release the contraction of the sleeve against shaft section 11, the set-screw 18 is loosened, but not sufficiently to disengage'it from groove 19, and the adjusting member or plug is rotated toward the letter F (Fig. 1) which is inscribed on the sleeve 12. By such rotation of 16, the inner end of the eccentrically positioned set-screw 18 may be caused to travel from its medial position shown in Fig. 3- to. its position 1ndicated in Fig. 4, and, in so doing, it moves along and cooperates with groove 19 to rotate shaft section 11 in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 4. Rotation of adjusting member 16 in the opposite direction will rotate the shaft section 11 in the reverse direction. After the desired adjustment has been thus attained, sleeve 12 is again contracted, to securely grip the shaft section 11, by tightening nut 13, and the set-screw 18 is set into tight engagement with groove 19.

What is claimed is 1. A shaft coupling including in combination a coupling sleeve for embracing the ends of two shafts or shaft sections to be coupled together, an adjusting member carried by said coupling sleeve and operable to adjustably rotate one shaft relatively to the other to which it is coupled, and a nut engaging a tapered screw-threaded and longitudinally split end of the sleeve for contracting the same against the adjusted shaft to secure the same when the desired adj ustment has been attained. Y

2. In a shaft coupling, the combination of a coupling member and an adjusting member rotatably mounted on said coupling member to turn upon an axis approximately radial to the axis of said coupling member and operable by its rotation to adjustably rotate one shaft relatively to the other to which it is coupled.

In a shaft coupling, the combination of a coupling sleeve for embracing the ends of two shafts or shaft sections to be coupled thereby, and an adjusting member rotatably mounted in the wall of said sleeve and operable by its rotation to adjustably rotate one shaft relatively to the other to which it is coupled.

1. In a shaft coupling, the combination of a coupling member and an adjusting member rotatably mounted on said coupling member to turn upon an axis approximately transverse to the axis of said coupling member, said adjusting member, having thereon an eccentrically positioned projection engaging one shaft to adjustably rotate. it relatively to the other shaft to which it is coupled. l I

. 5. I-nja shaft coupling, the combination of a coupling sleeve for embracing the ends of two shafts or shaft sections to-be coupled thereby, and an adjusting member rotatably mounted in an opening in the wall of said sleeve to turn on an axis approximately radial to the axis of said sleeve and operable by its rotation to adjustably rotate one shaft relatively to the other to which it is cou pled. I

6. In a shaft coupling, the combination of a coupling sleeve, and an adjusting mem ber mounted on said sleeve to rotate on an axis approximately transverse to'the axis of the sleeve, said adjusting member having thereon an eccentrically positioned projection engaging one shaft to adjustably rotate it relatively to the other shaft to which it is coupled.

'7. In a shaft coupling, the combination of a coupling sleeve, and an adjusting member mounted on said sleeve to rotate on an axis approximately radial to the axis of the sleeve said adjusting member having thereon an eccentrically positioned projection engaging a groove in one shaft to adjustably rotate the same relatively to the other shaft to which it is coupled.

8. In a shaft coupling, the combination 9. In a shaft coupling,the combination of a coupling sleeve to embrace the ends of two shafts, clamping means for contracting each end of the sleeve against its shaft for securing the shafts in the sleeve against rotation, and means on the sleeve operable to rotatably adjust one of said shafts relatively to the other shaft when said first named shaft is released by its clamping means.

10. In a shaft coupling, the combination of a coupling sleeve for embracing the ends of two shafts or shaft sections to be coupled together, a plug screw-threadedin an open ing through the wall of the sleeve, and a setscrew in an opening through the plug eccentric to its axis and engaging one shaft to adjustably rotate it relatively to the other shaft upon rotation of the plug.

11. In a shaft coupling, the combination of a coupling sleeve for embracing the ends of two shafts or'shaft sections'to be coupled together, a plug screw-threaded in an open- ARTHUR A. MERRITT. 

